Ecuador

• frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity;
• floods;
• periodic droughts

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• desertification;
• water pollution;
• pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

party to:

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.89 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

noun:

Ecuadorian(s)

adjective:

Ecuadorian

conventional long form:

Republic of Ecuador

conventional short form:

Ecuador

local long form:

Republica del Ecuador

local short form:

Ecuador

name:

Quito

geographic coordinates:

0 13 S, 78 30 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia);
• Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

chief of state:

• President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005);
• Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government;
• former President Lucio GUTIERREZ was removed from office by congress effective 20 April 2005

head of government:

President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005); Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms);
• election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff election scheduled for 26 November 2006 (next to be held October 2010)

election results:

• results of the 15 October 2006 election;
• percent of vote - Alvaro NOBOA 26.8%;
• Rafael CORREA 22.8%;
• Gilmar GUTIERREZ 17.4%;
• Leon ROLDOS Aguilera 14.8%;
• Cynthia VITERI 9.6%;
• note - a runoff election will be held 26 November 2006 between NOBOA and CORREA

• Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
• Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI];
• National Action Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA];
• Pachakutik Movement [Gilberto TALAHUA];
• Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua];
• Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES];
• Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta];
• Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director];
• Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director];
• Social Christian Party or PSC [Leon FEBRES CORDERO];
• Socialist Party - Broad Front or PS-FA [Victor GRANDA]

• Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Luis MACAS, president];
• Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS];
• Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president];
• National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga

chancery:

2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-7200

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-3482

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC

chief of mission:

Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL

embassy:

Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito

mailing address:

APO AA 34039

telephone:

[593] (2) 256-2890

FAX:

[593] (2) 250-2052

consulate(s) general:

Guayaquil

• three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag;
• similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

agriculture:

8%

industry:

24%

services:

68% (2001)

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

32%

note: data for urban households only (October 2003)

revenues:

$8.822 billion

expenditures:

planned $8.153 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)

• bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane;
• cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products;
• balsa wood;
• fish, shrimp

general assessment:

generally elementary but being expanded

domestic:

facilities generally inadequate and unreliable

international:

country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

• extra heavy crude 578 km;
• gas 71 km;
• oil 1,386 km;
• refined products 1,185 km (2006)

total:

966 km

narrow gauge:

966 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total:

43,197 km

paved:

7,287 km

unpaved:

35,910 km (2003)

total:

31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT

by type:

chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum tanker 21, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned:

2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)

registered in other countries:

1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

males age 20-49:

2,792,770

females age 20-49:

2,849,519 (2005 est.)

males age 20-49:

2,338,428

females age 20-49:

2,380,327 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

133,922

females age 20-49:

129,758 (2005 est.)

• significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru;
• importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics;
• attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime;
• increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents